PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

People who are currently using illegal drugs can be treated as not qualifying for protection under the disability rules when an employer acts because of that drug use. If a person has finished a supervised rehab program and is no longer using, is in a supervised rehab program and no longer using, or was wrongly thought to be using, they still qualify. Employers may use reasonable policies, including drug testing, to check that someone in rehab is not using. Employers and covered organizations may ban illegal drugs and alcohol at work, require workers not be under the influence, enforce rules under chapter 81 of title 41, and hold drug users or alcoholics to the same job standards as other employees. Employers in industries subject to Department of Defense, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or Department of Transportation rules may require compliance with those agencies’ drug and alcohol standards. A drug test for illegal use is not treated as a medical exam under this law, and the law does not require or forbid testing or using test results to make employment decisions. Entities under Department of Transportation rules may still test and remove safety-sensitive workers who test positive or show on-duty alcohol impairment.

Title 42, §12114

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Qualified individual with a disability

For purposes of this subchapter, a qualified individual with a disability shall not include any employee or applicant who is currently engaging in the illegal use of drugs, when the covered entity acts on the basis of such use.

(b)Rules of construction

Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to exclude as a qualified individual with a disability an individual who—

(1)has successfully completed a supervised drug rehabilitation program and is no longer engaging in the illegal use of drugs, or has otherwise been rehabilitated successfully and is no longer engaging in such use;

(2)is participating in a supervised rehabilitation program and is no longer engaging in such use; or

(3)is erroneously regarded as engaging in such use, but is not engaging in such use;

except that it shall not be a violation of this chapter for a covered entity to adopt or administer reasonable policies or procedures, including but not limited to drug testing, designed to ensure that an individual described in paragraph (1) or (2) is no longer engaging in the illegal use of drugs.

(c)Authority of covered entity

A covered entity—

(1)may prohibit the illegal use of drugs and the use of alcohol at the workplace by all employees;

(2)may require that employees shall not be under the influence of alcohol or be engaging in the illegal use of drugs at the workplace;

(3)may require that employees behave in conformance with the requirements established under chapter 81 of title 41;

(4)may hold an employee who engages in the illegal use of drugs or who is an alcoholic to the same qualification standards for employment or job performance and behavior that such entity holds other employees, even if any unsatisfactory performance or behavior is related to the drug use or alcoholism of such employee; and

(5)may, with respect to Federal regulations regarding alcohol and the illegal use of drugs, require that—

(A)employees comply with the standards established in such regulations of the Department of Defense, if the employees of the covered entity are employed in an industry subject to such regulations, including complying with regulations (if any) that apply to employment in sensitive positions in such an industry, in the case of employees of the covered entity who are employed in such positions (as defined in the regulations of the Department of Defense);

(B)employees comply with the standards established in such regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, if the employees of the covered entity are employed in an industry subject to such regulations, including complying with regulations (if any) that apply to employment in sensitive positions in such an industry, in the case of employees of the covered entity who are employed in such positions (as defined in the regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission); and

(C)employees comply with the standards established in such regulations of the Department of Transportation, if the employees of the covered entity are employed in a transportation industry subject to such regulations, including complying with such regulations (if any) that apply to employment in sensitive positions in such an industry, in the case of employees of the covered entity who are employed in such positions (as defined in the regulations of the Department of Transportation).

(d)Drug testing

(1)In general

For purposes of this subchapter, a test to determine the illegal use of drugs shall not be considered a medical examination.

(2)Construction

Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to encourage, prohibit, or authorize the conducting of drug testing for the illegal use of drugs by job applicants or employees or making employment decisions based on such test results.

(e)Transportation employees

Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to encourage, prohibit, restrict, or authorize the otherwise lawful exercise by entities subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation of authority to—

(1)test employees of such entities in, and applicants for, positions involving safety-sensitive duties for the illegal use of drugs and for on-duty impairment by alcohol; and

(2)remove such persons who test positive for illegal use of drugs and on-duty impairment by alcohol pursuant to paragraph (1) from safety-sensitive duties in implementing subsection (c).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 101–336, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 327, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 12101 of this title and Tables. Codification In subsec. (c)(3), “chapter 81 of title 41” substituted for “the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (41 U.S.C. 701 et seq.)” on authority of Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–325 substituted “a qualified individual with a disability shall” for “the term ‘qualified individual with a disability’ shall”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 110–325 effective Jan. 1, 2009, see section 8 of Pub. L. 110–325, set out as a note under section 705 of Title 29, Labor.

Effective Date

Section effective 24 months after July 26, 1990, see section 108 of Pub. L. 101–336, set out as a note under section 12111 of this title.

§12114 Illegal Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Summary

Title 42, §12114

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Short Title

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata